PHS Insider - Carmela Rapino

| 17 June 2025

“My aim is not just to provide care, but to see patients as more than a mere list of symptoms by recognizing their intersecting identities, providing culturally responsive care, and empowering my patients to achieve their health goals.”

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Meet Carmela, an MSc Epidemiology student at Queen’s University and an aspiring clinician-scientist whose journey into public health research has been shaped by lived experiences and a deep commitment towards equity-driven care.

How it all started:

Carmela’s passion for public health first sparked during a global population health course in her undergraduate Health Sciences program at Queen’s University. It was in that class that she learned that 60% of health outcomes are shaped not by genetics or biology, but by social and environmental factors. This realization opened her eyes to the power of prevention and the broader systems that shape health.

Her curiosity quickly turned into action. Over two summers, Carmela worked with both Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later with KFL&A Public Health in the Environmental Health Department. These hands-on experiences helped her see the realities of public health practice and set her on the path to graduate studies in epidemiology.

But her research journey began with an honours thesis project which she describes as “very near and dear to my heart.” Working in collaboration with Queen’s University and the South -East Health Unit, and under the supervision of Dr. Emma Nagy (South East Health Unit) and Dr. Sahar Saeed (Queen’s University), the project used an implementation science framework to evaluate the delivery of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services. Growing up in a small town, Carmela saw firsthand how limited access to preventive care could affect rural and suburban communities and how critical it was to bridge that gap.

One lesson from that project still sticks with her: Efficacy seen in clinical trials doesn’t always translate to real-world effectiveness. For Carmela, it was a defining realization, one that deepened her commitment to community-based, evidence-informed solutions that meet the actual needs of people.

Academic experiences, research and future steps:

Now, under the mentorship of Dr. Sahar Saeed (Queen’s University) and Dr. Giada Sebastiani (McGill University), Carmela’s graduate thesis explores the prognostic significance of new subclasses of steatotic liver disease (SLD) in relation to all-cause mortality. She was shocked to learn that one in three Canadians have excess fat in the liver, yet Canada received a score of zero in preparedness to manage SLD.

“This highlighted for me a significant gap in knowledge and action, and I wanted to be part of addressing this issue,” she shared.

Her project investigates how updated 2023 SLD diagnostic criteria (which now incorporates alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction) may be connected to premature mortality. Her team is particularly focused on identifying sex-based differences in outcomes. Carmela works closely with clinicians and patient focus groups to ensure the research stays grounded in real-world relevance.

Carmela describes her MSc Epidemiology program at Queen’s as “incredibly enriching.” The coursework has equipped her with a strong foundation in research methodology, tools to mitigate bias, and the ability to ask and answer meaningful public health questions. But what she values just as much is the supportive academic environment, where mentorship has played a pivotal role.

Carmela’s vision for the future is clear; she hopes to combine her love for medicine and research with a strong focus on health equity. Her commitment to community well-being was inspired by her grandparents, who supported fellow immigrants in Canada and taught her that “a community or family can only be as strong as its most vulnerable member.”

She carries that lesson with her today, as she works to improve the health outcomes of underserved populations through her research.

Advice for prospective students:

Carmela strongly recommends any new graduate student to find a mentor who will really listen to their goals, offer honest advice, and connect them to new opportunities. Reflecting on her own journey, she shared that having someone like that made a huge difference for her. It helped build her confidence, grow her network, and helped her to navigate moments of self-doubt.

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MSc Epidemiology

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PHS Insider - Carmela Rapino

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